The E-FOOD consortium held a transnational working meeting in Sibiu, Romania, from 10 to 15 June 2025, hosted by Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu. The meeting formed part of the Erasmus+ project E-FOOD – “E-learning tools for Food technology and development education” (Project No. 2022-1-BG01-KA220-HED-000085089).

Representatives from all partner institutions participated in intensive working sessions dedicated to project monitoring, coordination, and future planning. Under the leadership of the project coordinator Assoc. Prof. Georgi Kostov, the consortium reviewed progress across all work packages, including digital educational standards, databases, and online learning resources in food technology.

A central highlight of the meeting was the in-depth evaluation and further development of the E-FOOD Virtual Competitions. Partners analysed the structure and outcomes of the competitions, which engage multinational student and doctoral teams in the development of innovative food product case studies. The discussions focused on:

• the educational value of competition-based learning;
• the integration of digital tools and project-developed databases;
• assessment methodologies and mentoring models;
• enhancement of student creativity, innovation, and international teamwork skills.

Based on the analysis, the consortium agreed on concrete measures to optimize the format and pedagogical impact of future virtual competitions, reinforcing their role as a flagship activity of the E-FOOD project and a replicable model for digital, practice-oriented education in food technology.

Significant attention was devoted to the selection, organization, and integration of E-rapid digital tools into the educational framework of the project. These tools are intended to enhance interactive learning, accelerate knowledge transfer, and support the development of case studies and digital learning resources in food technology and product development.

Further sessions were dedicated to the organization of the final project conference and workshop, including structure, content, target audiences, and dissemination strategy. The partners agreed on key messages, expected outcomes, and the role of the final event in ensuring long-term visibility and impact of the E-FOOD project results.

The partners discussed possibilities for extending the established collaboration beyond the current project, building on the developed digital educational standards, databases, and international academic network. The discussions on future cooperation within Erasmus+ KA2 and Erasmus Mundus programmes highlighted the strong potential for sustainability and continuation of the established academic partnership.

The outcomes of the Sibiu working meeting demonstrate the advanced stage of implementation of the E-FOOD project and confirm the consortium’s shared vision for modernizing food technology education through innovative digital and collaborative approaches.

 

Project Reference

E-FOOD
Project No.: 2022-1-BG01-KA220-HED-000085089

“E-learning tools for Food technology and development education”

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